Bound
by IceHeart161
Summary: All Emily Braxton wanted was the freedom to be herself and to grow up like a normal teenager. But Emily had a gift, and because of her gift she was chosen to save the world. To save the present, she had to save the past.
1. Invictus

Invictus - William E. Henley

OUT of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.


	2. The Past Is Another Land

The song is 'Missing' by Evanescence  
  
_Please, please forgive me,  
But I won't be home again.  
Maybe someday you'll look up,  
And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:  
"Isn't something missing?"_  
  
"Emily!" Emily heard Kate scream even though she was all the way across the room. She turned around and a shapeshifter was right there. He hit her on the side of her head and she fell into darkness.  
  
Minutes later, Emily woke up and knew something was wrong. She was no longer in the mansion, and it didn't look like she was in Las Vegas either. Slowly, she turned her head from side to side. There were hills on either side, and as far as she could tell, she was on one. It was extremely green and though there were no trees by her they were on all of the other hills. In front of her there was a large rock rising about three feet off of the ground. It was almost perfectly flat. "Where am I?" she asked no on in particular.  
  
Much to her surprise a voice answered, "The English countryside."  
  
Emily turned around as a woman materialized out of nothing. "Who are you?"  
  
She had red hair and blue eyes; her dress was a simple white cotton number, and she was wearing purple lipstick. The woman stuck out her hand. "My name is Moira."  
  
Emily grasped her hand; it was cold. "What are you?"  
  
"Right now, that's not important. I've brought you here for a reason. It is not to discuss me."  
  
Letting go if Moira's hand, Emily asked, "Then why am I here?"  
  
"To save the world," Moira smiled, "And yourself."  
  
"What are you talking about? In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly the 'save the world' type."  
  
"Will you sit down?" she motioned to the rock. Emily complied. "Just stay quiet until I finish, I hate repeating myself." Emily nodded. "Your mother's spell didn't work. Because of that the Night World has gained the upper hand. Soon enough the Daybreakers will realize that. They've already moved from Las Vegas soon they'll have to leave most of the West Coast. Eventually, all of North America will fall. It's not as bad on foreign continents, but the Night World will eventually launch several attacks to take out most of Europe and Asia. Africa and Australia will go next. Within two months after the attack on the Mansion they will control most of South and Central America. Once Australia falls, it's game over unless you can stop it.  
  
"I know it's overwhelming. You need to stop the spell that destroyed the mansion from ever being created." Emily's eyebrows shot up. "The witch who created the spell is named Lady Aithne. She's a force to be reckoned with. Stop her and you save the world. If not, chances are, you'll die. Any questions?"  
  
"Why is she called Lady Aithne, is Lady her first name or is she...nobility?"  
  
"She's nobility. I suppose I should have mentioned that. It's no longer 2002 here. It is 1702. That monstrosity of a spell is being created as we speak. I know it was developed between the years 1702 and 1704, but I don't know how long it took Aithne to actually complete and cast it. All sources lead to the thought that it was finished before a large-scale battle between two lords in June of 1703. Find Aithne, stop the spell, save the world. Does that sound too hard?"  
  
Emily swallowed hard, "Can I go home when I'm done?"  
  
Moira paused before she answered. "...Yes."  
  
Emily didn't ask what the pause was for; she didn't want to know. "So what do I do now?"  
  
Moira smiled, "You adjust for the time and go down that hill." She pointed down the eastern slope. Handing Emily a dress that came from nowhere, she said, "Put this on, and good luck."  
  
Emily took the dress and Moira disappeared. "That was strange," she muttered. She examined the dress. It didn't have a corset or any other ornamentation that Emily associated with 18th century fashion. It was plain and blue. The only thing that distinguished it from a 21st century formal was the wrist length sleeves and the fact that it had no zipper or anything to tie it up in the back. She undressed quickly and wriggled into the dress. It fit perfectly, but it was extremely itchy. Then Emily remembered hearing that the main fabric of the past had been wool.  
  
She started walking down the slope. It wasn't steep, but she hadn't realized high up they really were. After an hour or so of walking she stopped to see if she was anywhere near the bottom and to rest her knees. Sitting down, she surveyed the hill. She was almost three quarters of the way down. '_I wish I had a camera now._' The thought came out of nowhere, but it was true. The countryside was so beautiful. There was nothing near her except for a faint sound in the distance. She stood up and continued down the hill.  
  
Within twenty minutes she was on flat ground again and she could have kissed it. The once faint and distant sound was clearly moving closer, it sounded like horses. Deciding she didn't want to run into the horsemen, Emily sped up. If they got to close, she figured she could make a run for the trees.  
  
The horsemen were much faster than she expected, within minutes they were in sight. She tried to run for the woods, but she didn't make it. One of the men actually scooped her up by the waist and sat her in front of him. He, or maybe it was the horse, smelled vile. She lost track of time, eventually a large manor loomed in front of them. They stopped at what Emily assumed were the stables, her captor stayed on his horse, holding her tightly while the other men dismounted. One of the other men quickly came to her captor's horse. He set her down roughly and the new man held onto her tight. The last of the horsemen came up to her holding rope. He brought it up to her hands.  
  
It was the first time Emily struggled. Something earlier had told her not to fight them, that there was no way she would free herself for long. But it was human instinct to not want to be tied up. Unfortunately the men were much stronger than her. The man holding her said into her ear, "You will only hurt more if you fight." Emily stopped moving. "Good," the man said, "Now hold your hands out, you wouldn't want us to get rough again, would you?"  
  
Emily stuck her hands out silently.  
  
"Answer me!"  
  
"I thought it was a rhetorical question."  
  
The man slapped her. Emily assumed it was for using a word to big for him to understand. "I said answer me, wench!"  
  
Emily let out an insulted sound, but before he could slap her again she said, "No, I do not want you to get rough again."  
  
He laughed, "I thought so." He looked at one of his comrades. The man nodded and moved toward them. He grabbed Emily and dragged her into one of the rooms where they kept horses; she didn't know the proper name. "Be quiet," the man said, throwing her to the ground.  
  
He slammed the door, and she heard him lock it. Seconds later he rejoined his partners. "Go fetch his Lordship." One of the men said.  
  
"Henry, she is just a trespasser. Surely the magistrate can take care of this matter?"  
  
"This is just the thing his Lordship has warned us about. We must be vigilant about all possible enemies, even tiny women."  
  
"Why do you insist that he come here, why not take the girl to him?"  
  
"I am not to be questioned! Lord Varick gave me authority in these matters. I shall not fail him. Robert, go summon his Lordship." Emily heard someone running away. She rubbed her back, easing the pain from when she was thrown. Her injuries from the previous few hours' events weren't serious. The ride had provided time for her legs to heal themselves from her walk downhill, and her back would only be slightly bruised. The man, whom she assumed was Henry, had slapped her had enough to bruise her face, but she didn't heal it completely.  
  
By the time she got all of her wounds down to a dull ache, she heard the lock being undone. Two men walked in. One was one of her kidnappers; the other was a regally dressed young man. '_Damn, he's hot_,' it was her first thought of him, and she shook her head to clear it. He didn't look older than 20, but he had mature eyes, he looked like he was very in control. His hair was brown and long, but pulled back to be convenient, yet fashionable. Emily thought that his piercing blue eyes might see right through her if she wasn't careful.  
  
Then she realized, '_Oh, god, he's a vampire. This sucks_.' And Emily knew that she had gotten a lot more than she bargained for.  
  
_Even though I'm the sacrifice,  
You won't try for me, not now.  
Though I'd die to know you love me,  
I'm all alone.  
Isn't someone missing me?_


	3. Healer

Thanks to Jami-Ami and Purple Enigma for the reviews. The song is 'The Noose' by A Perfect Circle.

Chapter 2

Your halo slippin' down  
Your halo slippin' down to choke you now

"We found her on the edge of your property, sir," said Henry, "She was walking into your woods."

The vampire laughed, "Are you going to accuse this child of poaching?"

Emily's mouth dropped open, "I am not a child!"

The vampire responded, shocked, "How _dare_ you raise your voice to me? Do you not know who I am?"

She smiled and cocked her head to the side, "No, but I could take a wild guess."

"Does she live in the village, Henry? She speaks strangely." For some reason, he let her snide comment go.

"I do not think so, my lord. If you would like my opinion, I believe she is one of the demon crazed witches plaguing our God-fearing land."

The vampire smiled, "Are you the witch you are accused of being, girl?"

"I have a name," Emily said, "And it isn't girl."

The vampire nodded to Henry who proceeded to untie her. Emily rubbed her wrists, but Henry grabbed one of her hands. He pushed down on her fingers while keeping his vise like grip on her arm. There wasn't enough pressure to break anything, but it still hurt like hell. "Are you a witch?" Henry asked through gritted teeth.

Emily didn't say anything. As far as she'd been taught, the brunt of the witch trials happened in Salem and during the Inquisition, but she didn't know those exact years. After reading The Crucible she wasn't about to say anything about innocence or guilt in magical matters.

"Leave us, Henry," the vampire said suddenly. The pressure in Emily's wrist disappeared immediately and Henry was gone.

"What is your name?" The vampire asked.

"What's yours?"

"Girl, I could hurt you much worse than Henry ever could hope to. Answer me."

Emily rubbed her wrist. Sighing she said, "My name is Emily Braxton. I still don't know who you are."

"You're not the witch that Henry named you," the vampire ignored her concerning his name, "But you are not the average human."

Emily gulped, "Will you please tell me your name?"

"Why are you so persistent?"

"Because I'm sick of being told that I don't need to know certain information, or that all will be revealed in due time! And if you're my enemy, I'd like to know the name of my murderer, but if you turn out to be my ally, I'd like to know what to call you."

"Most people simply call me 'my lord.'"

"Please."

Something in her voice reached him, "Bligh Varick," he said, "Lord Bligh Varick."

"So you really are the lord of the land? I figured you were just on a power trip." Emily leaned her head against the splintery wooden wall.

"My family was granted this land to protected in the 14th century. I do not know what you mean by power trip... What do you mean by power trip?"

Emily rubbed her head, "Um...It means that you use what little power you've been granted by someone else to make everyone else miserable, like Henry."

Bligh Varick walked to the other side of the room, "Henry is my boyhood companion; if he weren't born a commoner he would be my second-in-command. Do not insult him to my face."

"I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot. I'm really a nice person under normal circumstances, and as you can tell, these aren't exactly normal circumstances." She smiled slightly.

"Why were you trespassing on my property?"

"I didn't know that I was on your property," she paused, "I was lost."

"Where were you coming from? There isn't another village for several days walk."

"My—"

They were interrupted as a boy of 12 or so ran in, "My lord, forgive me for intruding but the villagers need your help."

"What is it, Phillip?"

"The inn has caught fire, and it is spreading fast."

Bligh Varick nodded, "I will be there shortly. Run to the Manor and tell the servants to have water sent the village immediately." The boy left. Bligh turned to Emily, "I'm going to lock you up again, don't try to get out." He went to the door.

"Wait!" Emily called. She stood up, "I...I have a talent for healing. I can help the injured in the village and I don't need any supplies." He opened the door, "Please," she said, "I won't run. I have nowhere to go."

He turned around, "If you run, know this, I will hunt you down like a dog. I am lord of the surrounding area; you can't escape my property for atleast three days. Give me your word."

"You have my word that I won't run from you." Emily didn't blink.

Lord Varick nodded. "The fastest way to the village is on horseback; I have a mare that should be a good mount for you."

Emily nodded, not mentioning that she'd never ridden a horse before. "Do you have a cart that you can hitch to one of the horses to transport the wounded and...the dead."

"There are several in the village." She nodded. "Follow me, we aren't very far away."

Emily hung onto her saddle for dear life as they galloped to the village. Though the ride only took fifteen minutes, it seemed like fifteen years. She was grateful to see smoke in the air.

The fire wasn't large, but without the use of a modern fire department it could easily turn deadly. They dismounted a hundred yards from the fire. Bligh Varick pointed in the direction of several people. "Tell them to gather the wounded and that you can help. I will be watching you."

Emily smiled, "I wouldn't expect any less." If there was any organization before Emily arrived, she couldn't tell. Children were crying, adults were trying to see who had made it out of the buildings. One woman stood out from the rest. She was trying to direct people and calm the children. Emily went to her. "Excuse me," she said. The woman ignored her. Emily tried again, this time she tapped on the woman's shoulder. "Excuse me."

The woman whirled around, "Why do you persist in trying to waste my time, child? You are not injured."

"I was told to come here. I can help."

The woman crossed her arms. "How? By passing your smelling salts around trying to revive the dead? These are not ladies who have fainted from stress, girl. These are burned people."

"And if you weren't wasting my time saying that I'm inferior you'd learn that I'm a Healer." Emily stood up a little taller and straightened her shoulders, trying to look important.

"I see." The woman looked her up and down. "Some of the more injured are being moved over there," she gestured to an almost flat meadow. "Go and try to help them." Emily nodded.

She moved to where the woman pointed. Some people where moaning, others were badly burned, some were unconscious, others were just dead. Emily closed her eyes and concentrated. Healing wasn't something she's learned. She was healing power in a human husk. As far as she was concerned, it wasn't an exact science. Emily's powers began and ended with the body. She had no power over the Earth or space or the seas, but she was one of the most powerful Healers, maybe the most powerful, ever, and she would do the best that she could. She sensed that the worst of the wounded were the ones closest to her; they'd been in the fire the longest.

"H...elp...me," it was a tortured moan from a boy why lay almost at her feet. Emily looked down. His left arm and the left side of his face were badly burned. It wasn't charred like she'd seen in the movies, but he was red, like the skin was boiling off of him. She swallowed hard. After taking a breath to steady herself, she knelt down next to him.

"I'm going to make it better." She put her hands over his burnt arm, not quite touching, and concentrated. She couldn't describe healing to anyone. It was just something she could do. The way it had been explained to her was simple: a Healer heals, end of story. She felt coolness in her hands; this was a rare occasion where the manifested power was cool, not warm. There was only one thought running through her head as she moved her hands over the boys body, '_Don't die.'_ It became her mantra.

By the time Emily finished with the boy the sun was setting. It had taken well over two hours. There was a little girl lying next to the boy; she was burned, but not half as bad as the boy. Emily used the same procedure over and over again. It didn't matter what the problem was. She put her hands over them and repeated '_Don't die'_ in her mind. By nightfall she'd healed five people. After the fifth person she stood up and almost fell right back down on her feet. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself and moved to the next person.

He was dead. He was a man of about thirty, and he looked healthy with sandy brown hair and death-blind blue eyes. Emily could tell he'd been dead for a while, atleast a few hours. She checked for a pulse just to make sure; the man was cold. Choking on a sob, Emily sat down. It probably didn't look pretty, and her butt hurt from landing wrong, but she couldn't move. The woman who'd directed Emily to the worst of the injured found her beside the dead man. "You cannot save everyone," she said.

Emily kept starring at his body, past his body. "This is the first real dead body I've every seen."

The woman took a few steps up and knelt beside Emily. "The first one is always the hardest. It cuts the deepest."

"I only saved five people. There were atleast ten here. Five out of ten isn't good enough." She brought her knees to her chest and rested her head on them.

"That's half, girl. I saved another, and there was one other person her, she saved someone too. That is seven out of ten people. If you hadn't have been here, we would have saved two."

"That still doesn't stop me from feeling as if I could have done more."

"That is because there is still more to do. Are you still able to...heal?" The woman said 'heal' like she meant something else. Emily nodded. "There are some others over there. A few wee babies were cut try to help them. Then bandage some of the others." Emily stood up, so did the woman. "I will walk with you." They moved silently across the grass. It some spots it was bloody, others it was extremely dry. "You'll need to change your dress before long."

Emily looked down to see that she was covered in splotches of blood. "I hadn't noticed." '_I'll just make due,'_ she thought, _'Maybe the blood will wash out.' _"What's your name?" Emily asked. "We never introduced ourselves."

"My name is Anna, I am the village healer." She waited for Emily to say something.

"I'm Emily Braxton, I guess I'm a Healer." '_And I'm not from around here.'_

"I see. Sarah is holding her baby over there, go assist with the child." Emily nodded and walked away. Sarah's child, Rebecca, was the only baby remotely injured in the fire. Sarah had run out almost immediately after the fire started. Rebecca hadn't gotten injured until her arm was cut when Sarah carried her through the door. "Do you know where her father is?"

Sarah shook her head. "He was caught in the Inn. I haven't a clue where he is."

"If you want, I could hold Rebecca if you want to look for him."

Sarah's eyes widened. "You would do that for me?" She handed the child over. "Oh, thank you so very much."

Emily looked down at Rebecca, "Why don't we go find a place to sit?" she asked the child. Rebecca was silent; Emily took it as a yes. She carried the girl to a less crowded grassy area. After they sat down, Rebecca started to cry. '_Shit.' _Rocking the girl on her knee, Emily murmured, "It's okay, baby. It's okay. Mommy's going to be right back, she's just looking for your daddy."

A cry came from the rows of the dead and wounded. "Oh, my dear sweet Joseph! Lord, why do you try me so?"

Emily couldn't be sure, but she thought it sounded like Sarah. "I think your mommy found your daddy." She stood up to get a better look at where Sarah had gone. "Come on, let's go see."

Sarah knelt over the man Emily had failed to save. "Was he your husband?"

Sarah turned to her, wrath in her eyes. "He was my world."

Emily closed her eyes, "I'm sorry."

"Give me my daughter, and leave me be." Emily handed her the girl silently. Rebecca started to cry. "I thank you for healing her, but I have no further use for you."

Emily turned and tried to walk away calmly, before she knew it, she was running. The forest wasn't far. Once she was sheltered by the trees, she collapsed into a sobbing pile. She didn't see Bligh Varick enter; she heard him.

"You promised not to run. I knew you lied."

But I'm more than just a little curious  
How you're plannin' to go about makin' your amends  
To the dead  
To the dead

Now, please go and review


	4. Beginning

Thanks to Incarnated Soul and jez101 for reviewing oh so long ago. The song is Serenity by Godsmack. Remember reviews are loved and reviewers worshiped.

Chapter 3

As I sit here and slowly close my eyes  
I take another deep breath  
And feel the wind pass through my body  
I'm the one in your soul  
Reflecting inner light  
Protect the ones who hold you  
Cradling your inner child

She said nothing and didn't move. "I could kill you for this, you know? No one would stop me."

Emily turned around but remained sitting. Tears were still streaming down her face, but she was done sobbing. "I never promised not to run."

"You gave me your word!" he took a step towards her, and knelt down, his face was inches away, "Does a person's word mean nothing where you are from?"

"Are you stupid, or just dense? I said I wouldn't run from _you_. Have I?" She wiped her face with her bloody hands, leaving red trails where the tears had been, and crossed her arms.

That caught him off guard. "You would not run from me?"

"No," she sniffed, "I gave you my word."

"Who _are _you?"

She looked into his eyes. They were deep blue, but, contrary to popular belief, she couldn't see into his soul. "I'm just a girl who wants to go home, Lord Varrick."

"You will not run if I take you back to the Manor?"

Emily smiled, more a show of teeth, "Not tonight. I can't make any promises past that." He nodded, stood up, and offered her his hand.

Emily stared at it. After a moment she grabbed it, and received quite a shock.

"Soulmates," Shea began, "It's all the BS about having one person in the entire world that's perfect for you in all ways, blah, blah, blah. Except it's real. There's this connection the first time bare skin touches bare skin, like an electric shock times ten, I guess."

This was it. Emily was sure, why else would she feel like she was getting electrical shocks up and down her arm? And the world was a little hazy. But then, all of the sudden, it was gone and she was somewhere else.

With Bligh Varrick.

"Where are we?" He asked, "What is this?"

Emily stared at him. "You mean you don't know?" He shook his head. "It's the soulmate connection." The word soulmate echoed around them, "Okay," she said, "That was freaky, where did the echo come from?"

He almost smiled. "The soulmate connection doesn't exist, at least not anymore. It hasn't for thousands of years."

"Have you got a better explanation?" She crossed her arms, somehow the little discovery of a soulmate had invigorated her.

He ignored her, "Why do you speak so strangely?"

"It's really a matter of perspective."

He narrowed his eyes. "You won't answer me?"

"Where would the fun be in that?" He was looking behind her. Emily turned around. It seemed like a screen at a drive in movie theatre. A memory of her walking down the streets in Arizona with Rena was playing. They were discussing the Matrix.

"I want that power," said Rena, "I'll be all like, I need to know how to hotwire a BMW z3, now, dammit! Then I'd steal it."

Emily laughed and said, "Unfortunately, I think I'd use my powers for good. It sucks, having a conscience."

This time Rena laughed, "Come on, let's get some ice cream at Cold Stone." They walked into the shop.

The memory faded. "What was that?" he asked.

"She's my best friend, Rena Hedwynn." Emily leaned her head back, "I don't know if you'll accept this, but I don't want you to know everything there is to know about me, alright? I accept that you're my soulmate, there's no escaping that, but…but I just can't tell you, or show you just yet."

He nodded, but another memory was appearing onscreen. This time it was his. There was a girl, the only way to describe her was stunning.

Her blonde hair fell in ringlets far past her shoulders, her skin was creamy, she was tall, slender, and looked like your standard Scandinavian supermodel. Varrick looked disgusted. "Aithne, I have repelled your advances time and time again. Now, I shall be blunt. You are repulsive, I cannot stand your very presence. Leave this place."

Her jaw dropped, "But, sir…"

"Now, Aithne, go." She walked out, her footsteps echoed.

The memory faded. "I do not need to know more about you, Miss Braxton, and my memory makes us even." He looked around, "Do you know how we return?"

Emily smirked, "Click your feet together three times and say 'There's no place like home.'" He didn't understand the joke, but he followed her advice. Before she knew it they were back in the forest, both of them were on their knees, leaning on each other. "Whoa, that wasn't supposed to work."

This time he did smile. Then he stood up, "Come with me." He didn't offer his hand. She pushed herself off the ground and followed him. They walked back to the village, it was almost dark. When they reached the horses he said, "You are not comfortable riding, are you?"

"I'll manage," she replied. She was missing the future already. They headed for the Manor at a much slower pace than when they had come to the village. Maybe the English Lord understood her better than she thought.

When they arrived at the stables, Emily was surprised to realize that it had been less than a day since she had been captured. They went to the house, it was _huge._ "Molly," he addressed a servant when they entered, "Show Miss Braxton to a guest room, make sure that all of her needs are met."

She nodded, "Right away, sir. If you'll follow me, Miss."

"We'll discuss further arrangements in the morning," said Varrick. Emily nodded and followed Molly. Portraits of stern Lords and Ladies were hanging on the walls.

Molly was shooting sidelong glances at her, but she didn't say anything. "What?" Emily finally asked.

"Nothing, miss." She looked down.

"You've been looking at me since we started walking. Obviously you're thinking something."

She opened a door, "Your room, miss." She pointed everything out, "And if you need anything, just ring this bell." She walked out the door and shut it.

"Thank you," Emily tried to say. _'Room service, awesome,_' she thought. There was a frilly, lacy nightgown in the armoire, Emily didn't take it out. It looked like more trouble than it was worth. She pulled her dress off over her head and crawled under the warm covers in just her underwear. Looking up at the canopy she muttered, "I feel like a freaking princess."

In another room in the Manor, Varrick was talking to Henry. "What do you think I should do with her?"

Henry was quiet for a moment. "She wasn't sent from Aithne?"

"I do not believe so," He looked out the window, "Aithne would never use someone like her."

"She's not attractive enough?"

Varrick smiled, "No, not that. She's too smart, and too powerful. Aithne is a very jealous woman, she wouldn't use someone like Miss Braxton."

"Then why is she here? What does she want?"

"I don't know." He turned from the window. "I just don't know."

Where do we go when we just don't know  
And how do we relight the flame when it's cold  
Why do we dream when our thoughts mean nothing  
And when will we learn to control

Now remember, reviewing is a nice way to earn god/goddess points. :)


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